Over the Weekend: Social Media Beer Tasting @ Coffee District

A fair bit of beer was sampled at the Social Media Beer Tasting, Saturday at the Coffee District.

This weekend I trucked up to the Coffee District in Delray Beach to take part in the Social Media Beer Tasting, an event designed to bring together folks who sell, hock, write about, talk about, and otherwise live beer. About 20 said folks gathered in the coffee and beer hangout to discuss what's going on in the South Florida beer scene and ways everyone can help it grow.

The event was put together by Ed Roberts of Total Wine and Spirits, who assembled an all-star list of media, retailers, bloggers, distributors, and local brewers to contribute. Everyone chipped in a beer to share, while Coffee District provided sampling glasses and pitchers of water (to swish out the glasses, not to drink!). It was like a little beer-scene brouhaha and a tasting event all rolled into one.

Some of the folks in attendance included Jeff Abbarno, former owner of

Another interesting guest was Drew Weinstein, a former Wall Street analyst with Cohen & Co., who for the past year has been shopping his idea to launch Magellanic Brewery. Guess where Drew hopes to open? Right here in South Florida.

Weinstein is currently seeking about $3 million in capital to kick-start his brewery in Miami's Wynwood Arts District. He sees Florida as

a ripe spot to launch a new beer brand, especially one that appeals to hard-core and casual beer fans alike.

Roberts didn't say when the next Social Media Tasting would be held,

but for now, the event is limited to individuals who work in or report